Elkhart, Indiana

Hall of Heroes

A rural hall of justice holds the world's only comic book and superhero museum.

Most superheroes tend to make their base in a major metropolis, but in the small town of Elkhart, Indiana the homemade Hall of Heroes contains more comic book champions than any sprawling cityscape.

Fueled by Indiana local Allen Stewart’s lifelong love of superhero comic books, the Hall of Heroes collects thousands of action figures, props, collectables, and comic books from all across the over 70-year history of the genre. Among the notable items are a Batarang used in the film Batman and Robin, one of only two remaining costumes from the television show The Greatest American Hero, and hundreds of pieces of original comic book art from the likes of Alex Toth and Curt Swan. In addition to the shelves and cases full of brawny action figures there is a small replica of the Batcave from the ’60s Batman show, complete with a fire-pole that visitors can slide on between floors.

While the massive collection of nerdery inside the museum is impressive, the grandest feature is outside where Stewart has remodeled the facade of the Hall of Heroes to look just like the Hall of Justice from the Superfriends cartoon. Tours of the Hall of Heroes must be scheduled in advance so visitors are advised to throw up a bat-signal before arriving.